LAHORE (Dunya News) - The Punjab government has announced a massive increase in stamp paper fees, causing serious concern among citizens.
According to issued notification, the minimum value of e-stamp paper has been raised from Rs100 to Rs300. The fee for divorce-related stamp papers has surged from Rs100 to Rs1,000, while the stamp paper required for domicile certificates, used for school admissions and job applications, has been increased from Rs100 to Rs500.
Similarly, stamp paper fees for new electricity, gas, and water connections have jumped from Rs100 to Rs1,000. The cost of e-stamp paper for property sale agreements has been increased significantly, from Rs1,200 to Rs3,000.
For non-property agreements, the e-stamp paper fee has been raised from Rs100 to Rs500. In addition, for agreements valued up to Rs500,000, the fee has been increased from Rs1,200 to Rs3,000, while agreements ranging between Rs500,000 and Rs1 million will now require a fee of Rs6,000.
For agreements exceeding Rs15 million, the stamp paper fee has been increased by Rs20,000. Meanwhile, the fee for power of attorney e-stamp papers has been raised from Rs1,500 to Rs1,800.
Authorities have also made it mandatory for applicants to have a SIM card registered in their own name in order to obtain e-stamp papers.
Citizens have expressed strong dissatisfaction over the steep increase, stating that the move will place an additional financial burden on people already struggling with rising living costs.